Although more than 30% of known genomes encode membrane proteins, and it is estimated that over 60% of currently available drugs target these molecules, structure resolution at high resolution is actually a difficult challenge. Use of artifical photosynthetic reaction centres, showing selective signal enhancement in the solid-state NMR spectrum, may allow for a new approach to probe selected topologies on surfaces.
In natural photosynthetic reaction centers, photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (Photo–CIDNP) enhances intensities in solid-state NMR spectra. Until now, solid-state photo-CIDNP has not been observed in artificial systems. Based on the known theory, artificial systems will be developed to show this enhancement effect. This optimised spin polarisation can then be cross-polarized to nearby nuclei to enhance their signal in ‘spin torch’ experiments.

Feodor Lynen research fellowship for postdocs

Feodor Lynen was the Nobel Prize winner in physiology or medicine in 1964. Lynen’s work has been devoted to the elucidation of the chemical details of metabolic processes in living cells, and of the mechanisms of metabolic regulation.
The Humboldt Foundation grants up to 150 Feodor Lynen Research Fellowships for postdoctoral researchers and experienced researchers from all disciplines annually. A Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship for postdoctoral researchers allows to carry out a long-term research project of own choice at a research institution abroad in cooperation with an academic host that has been previously funded by the Humboldt Foundation.

Bela Bode

Bela Bode was born in 1977 in Frankfurt am Main, where he also studied chemistry and performed his PhD work in pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance supervised by Dr. O. Schiemann in the group of Prof. T. F. Prisner. He defended his thesis “Molecular structure at a distance – quantitative interpretation of pulsed electron-electron double resonance data” in 2008. In 2009, he has joined the Leiden Institute of Chemistry as postdoc in the group of Dr. J. Matysik working on optical methods in solid-state NMR spectroscopy.